


Fade the Nightmare

by hlravensnest_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-12-31
Updated: 2001-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 21:50:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11837730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hlravensnest_archivist/pseuds/hlravensnest_archivist
Summary: While Nick and Amanda try to uncover the secret of Rachel's Immortality, Rachel finds herself dragged into a fifty years old nightmare.





	Fade the Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HL Raven's Nest](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HL_Raven%27s_Nest). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HL Raven's Nest's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hlravensnest/profile).

Fade the Nightmare by Camilla Sandman

| 

_Fade the Nightmare_

By   
Camilla Sandman 

**Acknowledgements:** I've used lyrics by Sarah McLachlan  & Savage Garden in this story, two of my personal favorites. I've also borrowed the wise words of Sigrid Undset & Hans Børli, who seemed to have thought the same things as me a decade and a century before. 

**Author's Note:** This is the third story in my _Grains of Time_ saga, following _Raison d'être._ It's recommended that you have read the earlier instalments first, or you'll wonder what the smeg is going on. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim ownership of any of the characters from Highlander: The Raven or Water Rats, although bazooka has promised me he'll get their ownership signed over to me by the end of the year. He just needs to work on Hal and the guys from Panzer/Rysher first.... Until then, they're just borrowed. The characters of Henrik Stromgard and Johan Herman are product of my own imagination, and are not true historical figures. 

**Summary:** While Nick and Amanda try to uncover the secret of Rachel's Immortality, Rachel finds herself dragged into a fifty years old nightmare. 

**Dedication:** Dear sweet Benjamin. I never knew you, but your death at the hands of Neo-Nazis have upset a whole nation. Your death has united us for one common goal. “Never again.” Here's hoping the first racial motivated murder in Norway will be the last. Rest in peace, Ben. This one is for you. 

* * *

~~~~~~   
It is not true that the past is merely things passed   
~~~~~~ 

Herman hadn't been scared many times in his life. He could barely remember the last time, when the Russians had hunted him down and killed him. He had died, and awoken to a new life. He had never felt fear again. Not in fifty years. 

Now, he was looking into the face of Death. She had a beautiful face, framed by long curly hair. Deep brown eyes locked on his. And a sword lifted; ready to take his life away forever. 

“Do you remember me?” Death asked him. He shook his head frantically. He would have remembered a beauty like her. 

“Think back.” There was steel in her voice. “Auschwitz.” 

He tried to think of something to say, but his throat felt dry. There was no forgiveness in her eyes. No mercy. He wanted to beg for it, but a sudden flash to a young girl begging for her life hit him. She'd had the deepest brown eyes he'd ever seen, and for a moment he had been lost in them. Caught trying to escape Auschwitz, she had been tortured and killed slowly. She had begged him to end the suffering. Begged for mercy. But she had been a Jew, a rat, and a vermin to kill. He had shown no mercy because they hadn't been worthy of it. 

Now he would get none. And a part of him was actually relieved. Looking into the deep brown eyes, he steeled himself. 

She didn't even flinch as she brought the sword full circle and lifted it high. And what had been Herman Kein, formerly Johan Herman of the Waffen SS, fell headless to the ground. 

Margot didn't allow herself to feel satisfied as her body jerked, taking the Quickening. There were more of them out there. 

And as long as there was, she would not be able to sleep at night. The nightmares were always there. Awake or asleep, she would see again and again the faces of the thousands she had witnessed die. Dying for the simple crime of being who they were. She could still hear their screams in a night that lasted all day. 

And their killers, laughing 

* * *

David let out a small sob in his sleep, rolling away from his mother. He was having the nightmare again, where he saw his father get shot and die in front of him. A terrifying nightmare, because it didn't end when he woke up. 

His mother looked at him sadly, stroking his back until the sobs died away. She would give anything to take his pain, to give him back the innocence he had lost when his mother, then his father died. 

But his mother had come back. Like an angel, not touched by death. She didn't want to tell him the truth. That she was Immortal, never to die from old age or natural causes. That she could live forever, never ageing. 

And the biggest secret of all was that he too could be faced with that fate. 

She wasn't sure she wanted him to. 

Sighing, Rachel got up. The air condition hummed softly in the other end of the room, but other than that, the house was quiet. It wasn't her house; she wasn't even sure who owned it. Amanda had somehow borrowed it, saying it would be theirs as long as they needed. 

But Amanda had left to help Nick, and the house was quiet. Frank was in his own house, preparing it for sale. She didn't want him to, knowing very well he did it to stay by her side and not be tied down. She just didn't have the strength to argue with him. 

She knew she was pushing him away. He assumed it was the memory of Jack, but.... Maybe it was. Or maybe it was knowing he could be gone in the blink of an eye too. 

“Mum?” David's voice sounded small in the dark room. She was by his side in a matter of seconds, holding him as close as he let her. Soon, he was asleep again, but she doubted it was peacefully. 

And she sat like that, awake in the silent night, feeling no need to sleep. 

Her nightmares came to her anyway. 

* * *

~~~~~~   
Morning smiles like the face of a newborn child   
Innocent Unknowing   
Winter's end promises of a long lost friend   
Speaks to me of comfort   
But I fear I have nothing to give   
I have so much to lose here in this lonely place   
~~~~~~ 

Nick Wolfe groaned as warm water began pouring over his tired muscles. God, he was exhausted. He'd always viewed himself as fit, but the last few days had made him reconsider. 

Then again, he hadn't been training for a thousand years, like Erik had. The man was a machine. He sighed, grabbing the soap and beginning to scrub away the dirt. Erik had kicked him into the mud after a match that had lasted precisely ten seconds. But it was five seconds longer than the last time, which was something. 

Why the hell was he even bothering, Nick thought to himself. He was never going to be that good. He didn't even want to be a part of this Game, but.... It wasn't like he had a choice any more. Kill or be killed. He'd taken his first Quickening not too long ago, and he still remembered the power of it. It was almost luring, yet it disgusted him. 

And then there was Amanda, the twelve hundred years old Immortal thief who had quite efficiently stolen his heart. 

He sensed the buzz just as the bathroom door opened soundlessly. 

“Erik?” he called out, opening the slide door. There was no answer as he strained to see through the steam. Fabulous. He had nothing to defend himself with. 

“Should I be jealous?” Amanda asked, smiling as she stepped forward. She was wearing one of his t-shirts, he noticed. It was barely long enough to.... 

“Amanda....” he breathed, “What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Sydney for another week?” 

“Do you really want to know....” She gave him a teasing smile as she slowly pulled of the t-shirt and dropped it in a pile on the floor. “Or can we talk about it later?” 

He swallowed hard as his eyes travelled over her body. He had never made any secret of the fact that he was rather partial to it. Especially the way it felt next to his. Unable to control himself, he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her close. 

“Definitely later,” he muttered, and she chuckled softly. Flinging her arms around him, she pulled him into an intense kiss and drove any rational thoughts from his mind. 

* * *

Rachel glanced around as she walked on the soft grass. She didn't expect any from the Station to be there, but she was wary nevertheless. She couldn't afford not to be. 

The sky was slightly clouded, small dots of white here and there slowly moving southwards. The wind was lazy, but had a touch of cold in it. In Sydney, autumn was approaching. In Paris, it would be spring soon. 

The gravestone was filled with flowers. The funeral had been just a few days ago. She had been there, in spirit if not in person. So many funerals. So many deaths. Jack, Jonathon, and a sweet girl named Lauren. All dead within weeks. And Kira, whom in a strange way seemed to live on inside her. 

“Hey Jack,” she said, kneeling down by the graveside. Reaching out to touch it, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd some to her gravestone when he thought her dead. If he too had come to ask forgiveness for the terrible crime of living on. 

“I'm sorry...” She paused, wanting to say so much, but not finding the words. 

“David's safe. We're going to move to Paris, he'll be safe there. I have friends who will help me protect him. I... I won't forget you,” she promised. “I didn't want this... But I'm trying to deal with it.” 

Presence. She got on her feet without thinking, scanning the area for the source. She found it almost immediately. A young woman, dark brown hair, obliviously having noticed her too. 

This was Holy Ground. She was safe. Or so Amanda had told her. 

Taking a deep breath, Rachel calmed herself. Not all Immortals were hostile. Still, her heart beat faster as she walked up to the approaching woman. Pausing with a metre between them, Rachel had the distinct feeling of being sized up. 

“I have no quarrel with you,” the other woman stated coolly. Rachel tried to ignore the sense of relief that flooded through her. She was getting paranoid. 

Of course, for Immortals, that seemed to be a survival tactic. 

* * *

“Rachel?” Frank called out as he pushed the door open with his foot, his arms filled with boxes. It was the last of his stuff. Rachel had pretended to ignore the fact that he was moving to Paris with her; he pretended to ignore her ignorance. He wondered who would break first. 

“She's out,” Helen answered, coming from the kitchen. She'd taken a few days off to stay with them. She still seemed in awe whenever Rachel was around, and he couldn't really blame her. David seemed to have accepted it without question though. It was probably the shock, losing his father and everything. He needed something to cling onto. 

“Out?” he shot back, dropping the boxes. Helen gave him a look. 

“I'm not her babysitter, Frank.” 

He just grunted, giving David a smile as the boy came walking from the kitchen as well, eating an ice cream. The boy's face fell as soon as he realised it wasn't his mum. 

“She will be right back,” Helen assured him, “Why don't you finish your ice cream in the kitchen and we can get you another one?” 

Nodding obediently, David trotted back into the kitchen. He could watch the road from the kitchen window and see when another car pulled up. Then it would be his mum. She would come. She had promised to stay forever, and she never went back on a promise. 

“What is it?” Frank asked as soon as the kid was out of hearing range. 

“The station called me. We have another beheading.” 

“Oh no...” Frank groaned. “An Immortal?” 

“They ran the dead guy's fingerprints and description, and it turns out he was wanted by German authorities.” 

“Wanted for...?” 

“Genocide,” Helen replied with a sigh. “Turns out the guy was Johan Herman, a SS officer. The thing is, the guy hadn't aged a day.” 

“Immortal all right,” Frank muttered. “Maybe Amanda knows who the guy is. I'll give her a call. She should have arrived by now.” 

* * *

“With this kind of welcome I'll stay away more often,” Amanda chuckled as she leaned her back against Nick's chest. Her put his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. He smelled fresh of water and soap, a smell she drank in. 

“What are you doing here anyway?” he muttered against her cheek. 

“Rachel's decided to move here.” 

“That's gonna make it crowded,” he remarked, not really objecting. He liked the two Australians, and the fact that both had been cops should help keep Amanda on the straight path. In theory, anyway. 

“We'll have to squeeze,” she grinned and gave him a very suggestive look. He could imagine just what she considered 'squeezing', and it was a rather pleasant image. 

“Besides, you can just move downstairs with me,” she added as he began kissing the back of her neck. 

“Or you upstairs with me.” 

“What's wrong with downstairs?” 

“What's wrong with upstairs?” 

“Anyway, I thought you could use my help,” she said after a few seconds staring match. 

“On what exactly?” 

“You know, your 'looking into Rachel's Immortality' thing.” 

“I'm not...” he immediately began, then saw her look. “How did you know about that?” 

“What am I, deaf and blind?” she countered with a smile, “I know you, Nick. And besides, I heard you two taking about it one late night.” 

“You eavesdropped, you mean?” 

“Details, darling,” she grinned, and he couldn't help doing so as well. 

“If I didn't know better, I would think you were jealous.” 

“Moi? Never!” she replied, just as the phone rang shrilly. 

“Saved by the bell,” he winked at her as he went to answer it. “Nick Wolfe.” 

“Hey Frank,“ he said a heartbeat later, waving at Amanda. “Yeah, she's here. Aha. An Immortal? Are you sure? Yeah, that does sound like it. Johan Herman? Hang on, I'll ask...” 

He glanced over at Amanda, but didn't finish the question. Her face was answer enough. 

“She knows him,” he told Frank, “I'll call you back.” 

“Amanda?” She closed her eyes, remembering... 

_“But Miss Amanda... They are nothing more than vermin. We're doing us all a favour.”_

“I haven't seen any runaway Jews, I keep telling you.” 

“And I don't believe you.” 

“That's your loss.” 

“No, miss, that's your loss.” 

“Amanda?” Nick asked again. 

* * *

“You must be Rachel,” Margot said after a while's silence. 

“How'd you know?” Rachel asked surprised. 

“I'm Margot,” the other Immortal simply answered, “You're a friend of Amanda's, aren't you?” 

“Do you know her?” 

“Only by reputation. She helped... Helped my husband once.” His face flashed before her eyes, the last she'd seen of him before he'd disappeared in the snow and the Germans had found her again. It was still so clear in her mind. 

_“Margoooooot!”_

“Run, Thomas! Forget about me!” 

“No!” 

“Just do it! I love you!” 

Harsh German voices were approaching as Margot closed her eyes and knew she would die. 

Gritting her teeth, Margot shook the memory away. It had taken her four days to die, and she still woke at night smelling burned flesh. 

“Tell Amanda thanks for Thomas,” she told Rachel, walking off with hurried steps. She still had a task to do. 

Something exploded a few steps ahead of her, and she turned to see a van coming at her, firing bullets. Diving behind the nearest headstone, she looked up to see the van speeding up and heading off. Seconds later, Rachel was by her side. 

“Who was that?” 

“Neo Nazis,” Margot grunted. “Which means, I'm close to bringing them down.” 

* * *

“For them the war never ended,” Amanda accepted the glass Nick handed her, sitting down at the bar. 

“It's been fifty years.” 

“Blink of an eye,” she looked up at him. “To an Immortal, that's all it is.” 

“So how do you know Johan Herman?” Nick poured himself a glass also, giving Amanda a long look. She suddenly seemed so old to him. Her eyes were dark and filled with more death than he could imagine. When she spoke of her past, she had always tried to keep her tone light, and it occurred to him that this was her defence mechanism. To live twelve hundred years, you needed one. 

“I was there. Auschwitz.” 

He tried to think off something to say, but found he couldn't. He sometimes envied Amanda all the things she had seen, but sometimes he wondered if he wasn't better off anyway. He'd seen terrible things as a cop, sure, but nothing of that scale. Auschwitz. A name filled with dread even to his generation. 

“It was in the middle of the war. I was just passing through, when an escaped Jewish man came begging for help. He was so thin... Escaped from Auschwitz, you see. I hid him. What else could I do?” Amanda turned the glass in her hand, staring at the alcohol rather than drinking it. 

“Did he escape?” Nick asked, taking a sip of his own glass. 

“Yeah. Last I heard, he moved to Israel and married another Auschwitz survivor. The Germans never found him. I was interrogated though. By our friend Johan Herman. The bastard. I said nothing, and the scumbag shot me. After the war I tried to find him, knowing what he would become, but I never did.” 

“To kill him?” 

“To fight him. It's the only justice we have.” 

“Some justice,” Nick muttered. She threw an angry look at him. 

“What else would you suggest? We lock him up for what... Twenty years and then he goes back to killing innocents?! You have killed murders too.” 

“Self-defence.” 

“And we kill in defence of the whole humanity. When there's only one Immortal left, and he has the power... Can you imagine if it were someone like Johan Herman?” 

She put the drink down on the bar so hard some of its contents spilled, and jumped off the barstool. 

“Where are you going?” 

“Out!” she shot at him, and stomped off. 

“Amanda!” he called after her, “Amanda!” The only reply he got was a slamming door. 

~~~~~~   
And the years go by so fast   
Silent fortress built to last   
Wonder how I ever made it   
~~~~~~ 

David heard the door open, and came running into her embrace the second Rachel stepped into the house. 

“Hey darling,” she muttered, kissing him on the head. 

“What took you so long?” Frank asked, coming into the hallway. He looked rather anxious, she noted. It better not be any more bad news. She'd had enough to last her two lifetimes. 

“Ran into an Immortal.” 

“What?! Are you all right?” 

“She wasn't hostile, Frank. Calm down before you have a heart attack. I can watch my head. I don't need a babysitter.” 

“Someone lost their head yesterday,” he defended himself with, “I thought maybe, you know...” 

“Hello.” He turned to the strange woman standing in the doorway. “You must be Frank.” 

“And you must be David,” Margot added, bending down. He gave her a small smile, looking at her in a curious way. Definitely a pre-Immortal. Immortals sometimes adopted per-Immortals, knowing their fate and quite often becoming their teacher after the first death. Throwing a glance at Frank, she had for a second the a feeling of... Something cut. As if... No, it had to be her imagination. 

“Rachel?” Frank asked. “Care to explain? Don't tell me she's...” He trailed off, seeing the two women both turn slowly towards the door. 

“David, wait in the kitchen, okay?” Rachel said without taking her eyes of the door. 

“Mum.” 

“Just do it!” Her voice felt slightly strained, as David hung his head and walked into the kitchen. Seconds later, the door barged open and Henrik Stromgard waltzed in. 

Short blonde hair, and the bluest piercing eyes she'd ever seen. There was a look on his face of contempt, superiority and smugness. She almost had an urge to wipe it off him. 

“Margot. I heard you were in town. Who's your new friend? This can't be the lovely Amanda Montrose whom I've heard so much about.” He gave Rachel a long look. “No, you're too new to be Amanda.” 

“Henrik. Long time, no see.” Margot tried to keep her own voice even, but failed miserably. 

“Yes. Refresh my memory... When have we met?” 

“I was there,” she spat out, “Auschwitz. You led the camp. I remember you.” 

_The laughter. The awful, piercing laughter as he grabbed a Jew by her hairs and threw her on the fence. The body twitched as electricity ran through it and the woman screamed, an inhuman sound. The sound remained long after the body had gone still._

“I remember you,” she repeated, pulling her sword out. He only smiled. 

“So you were the one who took poor Johan's head. Poor soul. Could never handle the memories, you know. He was trying to oppose my little organisation. You did me a favour there, really.” 

“You're lying!” 

“Margot, Margot, Margot. Now, normally, I'd take your head and be done with it, but it would be so impolite of me to spill blood on the carpet. Such a lovely carpet too, blue and azure stripes. You know, I bet stripes looked so good on you.” He smiled, but there was no warmth in his smile. “ Ah... those happy memories.” 

Margot swallowed hard, feeling bile in her mouth. Anna. Dear, sweet Anna. Her sister in spirit if not in blood. 

_There were no tears, no screams as Anna fell to the ground. Her back red with blood from the whip lashes. She just looked at Margot, her eyes holding a silent prayer._

Don't forget me. Make him pay for this. Survive. 

“Yes, I remember. Not you, I'm afraid, but there were simply so many.” He smiled apologetically. “Where you killed in the gas chamber, or was it a simple shot in the back of your neck?” 

Rachel felt her bones turn to ice as she listened to the man speak. The horror of it was unimaginable. But worst of all, there was no feeling in his voice. He was merely stating facts. Margot had turned visibly pale, obviously remembering. 

“No matter. I will finish the job.” His voice had turned to steel. “One day, you will all be gone.” 

“No,” Margot lifted her sword to rest against his neck. “You were stopped then, and you will be stopped now.” 

“Rachel, I... Oh!” Helen came walking in, freezing as she took in the situation. “What the hell is going on??” 

“Are you going to kill me in front of witnesses?” Henrik spread his arms. “Go ahead.” 

“I will,” Margot steeled herself. “They know what you are.” He just laughed, but there was no warmth in his laughter, nothing cheerful. 

“Do they now?” Henrik pushed the sword away with his hand, ignoring the cut it left. 

“You bastard!” Margot hissed, taking a swing at him. He dodged it easily, the smile not disappearing from his face. 

“I will let you have that one for free. Next time...” The threat hung in the air. “See you soon, _Jew._ Johan will watch as I take your head.” 

* * *

Pausing by the door to the Sanctuary, Amanda took a deep breath. She felt much calmer now, having walked off most of her anger. She hadn't really been mad at Nick, it was the damn memories. There were times she cursed her good memory. 

She remembered it all. 

The thick, black smoke from Auschwitz. The walking dead, only skin and bones with eyes as black as the smoke. The blood in the snow. The angry barks of dogs. The laughter, oh God, the laughter. All the evil in the world gathered in one place. A nightmare even awake 

Auschwitz. The name still sent a shiver down her back. 

Pushing the images firmly away, she entered the bar. Nick's Presence slammed into her almost at once, and she found him in the office upstairs, bent over a computer 

“Hey,” she greeted him with, keeping her tone casual. He seemed to take the hint, and didn't press the subject of their earlier conversation. 

“Hey.” 

“What are you doing?” 

“Henry's files. Joe handed a copy over after much discussion.” 

“Yeah? Anything interesting?” She walked up to him, glancing over his shoulder at the screen 

“I don't know. It seems to be rather incomplete.” 

“Maybe he was in a hurry.” 

“Maybe,” Nick said distantly, “Or maybe he kept parts of it elsewhere.” With a few keystrokes, he brought up a file. 

“He brought Lauren to see a specialist friend of his. Mark Jones. It doesn't say here, but I managed to dig up his speciality.” 

“Which is...?” 

“It appears he is into more... Shall we say, unusual treatments. I called a friend at the FBI who's into rather unusual stuff and she had a file on this Jones character.” 

“I didn't know you had friends in the FBI. Close?” 

“We dated.” 

“Aha.” Amanda resisted the urge to pry further, keeping her eyes on the computer screen. 

“Anyway, she told me Mark Jones seemed to have this _crazy_ idea that there is such a thing as living forever.” 

“What a nutcase.” 

* * *

“This just keeps on getting better and better,” Frank exclaimed, dropping down on the couch beside Rachel. His head was pounding, probably due to the explanations he'd tried to give Helen. He wasn't even sure he knew himself. Immortals seemed to be tripping over each other wherever they went. 

“How many Immortals are there out there anyway? I mean...” 

“Shut up, Frank.” 

He rolled his eyes, but did shut up. Rachel was sitting quietly, David sleeping in her lap. She was stroking his hair, but her mind was elsewhere. She felt cold, still remembering the eyes of Henrik on her. 

He knew she was Jewish. How, she didn't know. But the look he had given her as he had left... He would come after her. Deep down in her gut she knew he would. After he had killed Margot. 

“He's not getting away with it,” she muttered to herself. 

“Rachel, it's not your problem.” 

She shot a glance at him. “It's not that simple.” 

He shook his head in frustration. 

“I never asked you to join my world,” she reminded him. 

“Damnit Rach! Don't give me that shit. You didn't inform me until _after_ I thought you'd died, remember?” 

“You could have left it alone.” 

“Yeah, right. When are you going to get it through your thick head that I don't really have a choice!” His voice rose. “I bloody well love you, Rachel Goldstein, so don't give me that shit about having a choice and leaving.” 

“It's not as if I have a choice either!” she shot back, ignore the warm feeling spreading through her body. “I have to do this!” 

David stirred slightly, turning in Rachel's lap. She lifted his head gently, leaving him on the couch as she got up. 

“He's going to kill her, but I'm not going to let him.” Looking down at the couch, she patted David gently on the head. Reaching for something below him she pulled out the sword. 

A long sword, the blade thin, but sharp. A gift from Amanda. Kira was whispering in her head again, whispering about how to use it. She felt as if she could use it. 

“Rachel...” 

“I'm tired of death,” she simply told him. Jack's face flashed before her eyes, smiling at her. She was not going to sit idly by while murder was committed. She owed him this. He'd given his life for hers. She'd better make something of it. 

* * *

“This is it,” Nick indicated, “This is where our good doctor Jones lives.” Turning off the car engine, he stepped out, glancing at the building. 

“Not the best part of town,” Amanda remarked, exiting as well. 

“No kidding. Who'd thought he just happened to be in town?” 

“Awfully convenient.” 

“Exactly.” 

“So this friend at FBI...” 

“Dana Scully,” Nick broke in, “She's a doctor, actually.” 

“And you played the patient?” Amanda gave him one of her smiles as he rang the bell. There was a loud bang from inside just a second later. It sounded as if someone accidentally tripped over a very large chair. 

Without hesitation, Nick kicked the door open. Twelve years of being a cop didn't exactly go away. Pulling out his gun, he called out. 

“Doctor Jones?” 

Another bang answered him, and he turned the corner. The man in the living room threw one look at him and jumped through the window. 

“Hey!” Nick called out, chasing after within seconds. The guy had a bit of a head start, but had obviously cut himself on the glass as he left a trail of blood. Nick caught up with him in a matter of seconds, forcing him to the ground. 

Unfortunately, the guy seemed to have been waiting for it, suddenly bringing up a bat. 'Where the hell did that come from?' Nick managed to think before his vision was filled with stars. Groaning, he clutched his head. 

“Shit!” 

Footsteps told him his target was getting away. It took him a few seconds to get his vision straight enough to stand. Cursing, he made his way back. 

“Don't say a word,” he warned Amanda as he stepped into the house. She wasn't looking at him, though. 

“I found our doctor Jones. I don't think he'll be helping us,” Amanda lifted her hand and Nick looked in the direction she was indicating. What had been Mark Jones were lying face down on the floor, his neck twisted indicated it had been broken. 

“Just great.” 

* * *

“Rachel? You're scaring me,” Frank muttered, regarding her as she pulled up her sword. He knew she had it, he'd seen Amanda give it, but... Somehow he had never envisioned Rachel would use it. It didn't belong in their world. 

She put it back, and without a word she pulled a blanket over David. Muttering something Frank couldn't hear, she kissed her son on the forehead. There was an air of determination around her, as if she'd made a decision. 

Turning, she walked up to Frank and kissed him without warning. It took him a few seconds to gather himself and respond. She had rejected any intimate contact lately, he'd figured it was the memory of Jack. Now, suddenly, she couldn't seem to keep her hands off him. 

Without breaking the kiss, she pulled him in the direction of the bedroom. He was too aroused to make any protests, not that he would have anyway. His hands went to her hair, he had always liked her hair. Blonde wasn't really her, but the feeling of it under his hands were definitely her. Feasting on her neck, he nearly caused them to fell over as he tripped on a chair. 

He ignored the pain the impact caused in his leg. It would probably bruise, but he really couldn't have cared less. 

They made it as far as the kitchen table. She was like fire in his arms, like he had always envisioned she would be. He had his Rachel back. Finally. She had been dead long, but she was back. 

And all the waiting had been worth it. 

* * *

Night fell in Sydney. The sky slowly turned from dark blue to greyish, and the stars claimed the sky. The moon was but a thin line on the sky. 

Margot waited, every sense she had staying alert. She knew he would come. It was here she had taken Johan's head. He hadn't put up much of a fight, she hadn't wondered why then, but now... There had been something in his eyes. Relief, regret... She hadn't allowed herself to envision them as humans. They were monsters, killers. And now a small part of her wondered if Johan Herman hadn't had a bit of humanity in him after all. It was a discomforting thought. 

A strong Presence entered her mind, and she lifted her sword without thinking. Henrik stepped out from the darkness, but it seemed as if he took some of it with him. She had to fight to keep a shiver from her body, steeling herself. 

She was steel. She was Death. 

He was Death. In his eyes she saw the deaths of millions. All screaming at her, a survivor. She had lived when they had died. The biggest crime of all. 

“I always finish what I start,” Henrik told her. There was no smile on his face now, just focus. He lifted his sword, holding it out. She mimicked the move. 

“But...” he threw his arms out, “You have no honour. You are below me. You are not worthy to fight.” 

A shot slammed into her, ripping through her abdomen. She groaned in pain, dropping the sword. It fell with a loud clink on the pavement. Panting, she stared at him in hatred before a wail passed before her eyes and she fell dead to the ground. 

Henrik shook his head, giving his follower a signal to leave. As if he would berate himself fighting her. Rules be damned, they were for those worthy of them. 

Lifting his sword, he felt no regret. In five hundred years, he had never felt regret. Never. 

_I am become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds._

Never. 

* * *

“At least tell me you got a look at him,” Amanda complained as they entered the bar. Nick seemed almost to sulk, she noted. 

“Dark hair. Foreign, I think.” 

“Oh, that's _really_ helpful.” 

Nick resisted the urge to throw a reply back at her, knowing he was frustrated with the situation, not her. The bartender gave them as nod as they entered, being busy serving a customer. Had to be a new one and not a regular customer, Nick noted, he had never seen the guy before. There was something familiar about him though. 

“So we got nothing,” Nick sighed as they entered his office. 

“Not quite.” Amanda smiled as she pulled up a small disc. “I found the safe while you went chasing after the guy.” 

“You work fast.” 

“Darling, I'm _good._ ” She held out the disc, but pulled it back when Nick reached for it. “Please.” 

“Please?” he asked sweetly. 

She chuckled as she handed it over. He turned the computer on, and was just about to put the disc in, when there was a knock on the door. 

Before either could speak, the door opened to reveal the man Nick had noticed in the bar. 

“Miss Montrose. Mr. Wolfe. I see you found what I wanted.” Pulling out a gun, the guy pointed it straight at Amanda. 

“And don't think I don't know how to kill you, because I do.” 

* * *

Sword raised, Henrik readied his swing. He looked down at Margot one last time. It was almost too bad he had to take the Quickening. But it had to be done. Exhaling, he was about to bring the sword down when he felt something cold against his neck. 

“No so fast,” Rachel said, breathing heavily. 

Henrik cursed silently. So focused on his task, he hadn't sensed her approach. Turning around, he pushed the sword away. She didn't flinch as her eyes met his. 

She saw a movement in the corner of her eyes, and managed to lift her sword in time to block the thrust. He didn't even pause, going at her again and again and again. She managed to keep the grip on her sword, but pretty soon her arms were filled with scrapes and cuts. 

He wasn't even breathing hard, his sword dancing in his hands. With a sickening feeling, she realised she could never win. 

She felt a stab of pain in her heart. She didn't want to die. David deserved a parent. And Frank... God, Frank. He would take care of David for her, she knew that, and Nick and Amanda would protect them, but... She wanted to be there. Damnit, she wanted to be there. 

The sword flew from her hands, and she looked up at Henrik. His eyes were so cold it froze her spine. Willing her eyes not to close she waited for the swing. It came, but not at her. 

A small hiss of air made Henrik instinctively turn his sword to his left and met Margot's thrust. She healed fast, the little rat. But in racing to attack him, she was off balance, and he easily twisted the sword from her. 

He had to laugh at her. The urge was too compelling. He had won. He would always win. They never learned. 

He didn't hear the swing in his fit of laughter. Rachel brought her sword around, slicing through flesh as it were paper. Her eyes locked with Margot's, a silent understanding as the clouds darkened. 

The Quickening came at them both. Focusing on her own, Rachel felt what had been Henrik Stromgard try to take her over, but she refused him. Amanda had warned her about the dangers of Quickenings. But it would not affect her. She was herself. No one could change that. 

She was Rachel. 

~~~~~~   
This is the hardest of all   
To be yourself – and think it good enough   
~~~~~~ 

Nick exchanged a glance with Amanda, who have him a small shrug. They should have known it was too easy. 

“I am Ukoad,” the man introduced himself. “I will take that disc.” He had a foreign accent, maybe Greek or Turkish or something, Nick noted. 

“What do you want with it?” 

“It contains the secret of Immortality, what do you think I want with it?” Ukoad waved his gun slightly, “Now hand it over.” 

“You're a Hunter, aren't you?” Amanda asked, waving her right hand slightly. Nick stared, trying to comprehend what she was communicating. 

“You are smart, Miss Montrose. I always enjoyed watching you in the past. I might come back later to show you what a real man is like,” he winked, and gave Amanda the most sleazy smile she had ever seen. Amanda just rolled her eyes at Nick, then gave him the hand signal again. He gave her a confused look in return. 

“Now the disc, Mister Wolfe.” 

Taking his eyes of Amanda for a brief second, Ukoad more heard than saw the kick. The gun flew from his hands as Amanda's foot came in contact with his hand. Cursing, he reached for his knife. 

Nick just shook his head and raised his own gun. 

“I don't think so.” 

Ignoring the warning, Ukoad jumped Nick. The gun went off, there was a groan of pain coming from Nick. 

“You bastard!” Amanda muttered, and took the first thing she could find and brought it down on Ukoad's head. It happened to be an art object of some kind (she hoped it wasn't valuable) that smashed nicely upon contact with his head. For a second she thought it had no effect, then the guy wobbled slightly and fell over. 

Unfortunately he still held his knife. As he hit the floor there was a loud scream, and when he rolled over Amanda could see his knife firmly stuck in his... 

“Oy, that gotta hurt,” she muttered. Nick got to his feet, clutching his side. He winced as he saw Ukoad on the ground, practically sobbing in pain and failing miserably at trying to remove the knife from his groin. 

Reaching for the phone to call an ambulance, Nick gave Amanda a look. 

“Remind me to never mess with you.” 

* * *

The house was silent as Margot and Rachel stepped in. A hint of blue on the horizon promised morning on its way. A small wind rose, bringing the smell of ocean to the city. It was too early to wake up, and too late to stay up, and so the whole city slept. 

“Coffee?” Rachel offered, tiptoeing past the living room. David was still asleep, she could see his chest rising and falling. 

“Sure,” Margot replied, following her into the kitchen. Neither said anything as the coffee was made, both in their own thoughts. 

“You saved my life.” Margot finally remarked, taking the offered mug from Rachel. “Thank you. I... Thank you.” 

“You're welcome.” 

“But why? You are a new Immortal, you must have known he was out of your league.” 

“Do you believe in forgiveness?” Rachel countered 

Margot shook her head. “For some things, there can be no forgiveness. Do you know what they did? Do you know what it feels like to see everyone around you die?” 

“I have an idea,” Rachel said silently. “But do you believe in forgiveness for living on?” 

Margot grew silent, twisting the mug in her hands. “I'm afraid to,” she finally whispered. Her head seemed to fill with voices and memories she could never shake. 

“You think this will be the end of his organization?” Rachel changed the subject, feeling her own thoughts trail towards Jack and forced them firmly away 

“No,” Margot let out a sigh, “But I will bring it down. I will not let it happen again, no matter what. Thank you for the coffee. I better go.” Putting the mug down, she gave Rachel a small nod and hurried out. 

Rachel put her own mug down, feeling a strange clearness come over her. It occurred to her that no matter how much she cursed it, she had been given a second chance. Not many got that. Not many at all. 

“Hey,” Helen said from the doorframe, and Rachel turned in surprise. “I heard you come in. Is everything okay?” 

“Don't worry.” 

“You're still leaving tomorrow?” 

“I can't stay, Helen. My world is not the same anymore.” 

“I...” Helen fumbled for words. 

“Forget what you've seen. Get on with your life. I don't belong here anymore.” 

“But Rach...” 

“No. I did die. And I was reborn, but I wasn't the same. I'm not asking you to understand. Just accept it. Please.” 

Embracing her, Rachel tried to smile, but found she couldn't. “I'll miss you.” 

“I expect to hear from you often,” Helen replied sternly, “Or I will have to chase you down.” Smiling through her tears, she gave Rachel one more hug before walking out. 

It was a miracle that Rachel had come back. But you cannot cling onto miracles forever. Life doesn't let you. 

* * *

Amanda admired the view as Nick pulled off his top. His strong muscular arms and broad chest.... A rather nasty bloodstain and a bullet hole decorated the shirt, and he let out a small sigh as he threw it away. 

“I liked that shirt.” 

“I'll buy you a new one,” Amanda promised, sitting on the desk and tossing a new shirt at him. “At least Ukoad won't come knocking again.” He should look forward a long time in jail for murder and attempted murder, she thought with a certain satisfaction. And his manhood would never recover, that was for sure. Real man, indeed! And if the Watchers caught up with him... He would be lucky is jail was all he got. The Watchers didn't look lightly on oath breaking. 

“Yeah. What did you call him, by the way? A Hunter?” 

“Renegade Watcher. They pursue Immortals for their own ends.” 

“Oh, now you tell me. Anything else I should know?” 

She grinned. “I'll let you know if I think off something.” 

“Let's find out what he were so interested in,” Nick suggested, pulling his shirt on and sitting down by the computer. He gave Amanda's legs a look before focusing his attention on the screen. 

“Yadda, yadda, yadda, patient files... Wait a minute... He has Rachel listed here.” 

“What does it say?” 

“Subject believed to be Immortal. Blah, blah... It mentions David.” Nick skipped through the paragraphs, “Here we go. He had acquired a blood sample from her, courtesy of our friend Henry I suppose. He was waiting for some tests on it.” 

“Henry must have taken her blood sample while I was knocked out,” Amanda noted. 

“Look!” Nick pointed at the screen, “That's not the only blood sample he took. He stole a blood sample from the hospital.” 

“From Frank,” she breathed, “Henry must have suspected the same as us.” 

“That Frank was a pre-Immortal.” 

“Yeah. But I don't get the same sense around him as I do around David.” 

“I know. Just the feeling of something... severed, in a way.” 

“It can't be,” she shook her head, “No way. He can't have... It shouldn't be possible. It _isn't_ possible. He can't have...” she trailed off. 

“What, Amanda?” 

“Given his Immortality to Rachel and David.” 

* * *

Morning was barely an hour old when Rachel exited the house again. She hadn't slept, but she didn't feel tired at all. Maybe it was the recent Quickening that made her feel so awake and fresh, or maybe it was something else. 

She smiled as she got into the car and drove, passing a few cars on her way. The house she pulled up in front was very familiar, she felt a small stab of sadness knowing she could not really come back to it ever again. 

She rang the doorbell without hesitation, she had decided to do this and there were no point in hesitating. He deserved to know. 

As she heard steps from inside, she straightened up, wondering what she would say. What could she say after all? 

“Hey dad,” fell out of her as soon as the door opened, automatically. He stared at her for the longest while, his eyes as misty as hers. And she knew she had done the right thing. What she should have done in the first place. He reached out to touch her cheek, still not speaking. 

“My Rachel,” he finally muttered, embracing her. She held him for an eternity, knowing she would lose him soon, but that she would never let him go. 

Never. 

* * *

Amanda stared into the fireplace as Nick sat down gently beside her. Rachel had just called from Sydney, letting them know when the plane arrived. She had quite briefly told them Henrik Stromgard's fate, but Amanda suspected there was more to the story. 

The flames reminded her of another fire she had seen, one of countless bodies being burned. The image had burned itself into her mind, and would never really go away. Twelve hundred years, and so much pain to carry. So many memories of death. 

But some many of love also. She leaned against Nick, and he embraced her silently. She wondered if he ever thought of her past, if he ever wondered where he fit into it all. She did, after all. 

“Should we tell them?” Nick asked after a while. 

“We don't know anything for certain.” 

“Just the ramblings of a crazy doctor.” He sighed. “I don't want to lie to them, Amanda.” 

“So don't lie,” she whispered, wanting to say so much more. Don't change. Don't leave. Don't let me go. Don't stop loving me. 

“Then I won't,” he whispered by her ear. 

* * *

The sun was high on the sky as Rachel walked onto the green grass of the cemetery. Scanning the area, she soon spotted the source of the Presence in her mind. Margot was standing by a grave, one that had not been fitted with a headstone yet. Rachel was willing to bet Johan Herman would be put to rest there. 

“You were right,” Margot said as Rachel approached. “He was trying to atone. Johan, I mean. He helped the police track down several war criminals, and he gave financial support to several Jews after the war. He didn't turn himself in, and it doesn't make up for all he did, it never will, but...” 

“It's was a start,” Rachel finished. 

“Yes. Maybe that's what I need to. A start. A beginning.” She glanced over at Rachel. “We all need it.” 

“Yeah.” Rachel glanced up at the sky, feeling a cold shiver down her spine. A new start. Paris would give her that. She had to believe it. 

“Thank you, Rachel,” Margot gave her a light hug. 

“Thank yourself. Where will you go?” 

“I don't know. Maybe I will visit Israel and see if I can find Thomas's children. I cannot promise you will give up my hunt, but... Maybe I will find something more than that.” 

“If you're ever in Paris...” Rachel smiled. 

“I'll keep you to that in a decade or two. Watch your head, Rachel Goldstein.” 

Watching her go, Rachel felt something lift from her heart. It wasn't just a curse, or a nightmare. It was that too, but also a gift. A chance to correct wrongs. A chance to love again. A chance... To live, not just survive. To fade the nightmares. 

“Hey,” Frank called out, walking up to her. There was a smile tugging at his lips, and it was almost catchy. 

“Hey.” 

“So...?” 

“So what?” she replied, hiding a smile. 

“Ready to go? We have a plane to catch,” he reminded her. 

For a second she wanted to remind him she had never asked him to come to Paris with him, but decided against it. In a way she had. And besides, he would come anyway. 

Looking over the cemetery, she glanced over to where she knew Jack's grave lay. With time, it would be forgotten, mould growing over the white stone. But she would remember. She would remember them all. Jack, Jonathon, Helen, Jeff, her father, Frank... They would never completely die. And when she died, her essence would live on in someone else and so the memories would truly be forever. 

By the road, she saw Helen and David waiting. The wind brought David's laughter all the way to her, and she smiled. 

“Yeah, I'm ready,” she told Frank and together they walked down the hill. 

~~~~~~   
Gone the nightmare, it's all faded now   
~~~~~~ 

Fini 

* * *

© 2001   
Please send comments to the author! 

* * *

|   
---|---|---


End file.
